Unrecognized Catalyst to Development: The Neglected Role of Alcohol Policy in the Americas' Sustainable Development Goal Progress.

OBJECTIVE

In 2015, 193 nations adopted the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Alcohol was included as a specific focus in target 3.5 (substance abuse), highlighting its relevance in the global development agenda. It is also recognized as a cross-cutting issue and a barrier to achieving several SDGs. We aimed to examine in this research how countries in the Americas reported on alcohol use, alcohol-related harms, and alcohol policy measures in their efforts to meet the SDGs.

METHOD: We conducted a content analysis of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) presented at the UN High-Level Political Forum between 2016 and 2022.

RESULTS

Our sample included 54 documents from 32 countries. More than half (57%) of the reports from 21 countries referred to alcohol. Most of these references were listed under SDG 3, particularly target 3.5. Only six countries referred to alcohol as a cross-cutting issue.

CONCLUSIONS

Reducing alcohol consumption--a leading cause of death and disability in the Americas--was not frequently acknowledged in the VNRs. Many countries may be missing an opportunity to highlight their efforts. More likely, however, they fail to recognize alcohol as an important public health issue that must be addressed to achieve the SDGs.